German parliament elects Merz as chancellor in second round of voting
Friedrich Merz has been elected Germany’s chancellor after securing 325 votes in a second round of parliamentary voting, following an unprecedented initial defeat, BBC reported.
Merz, 69, leads the CDU/CSU alliance, which gained 28.5 percent in the February election. The conservatives formed a partnership with the SPD, which gained 16.4 percent when Olaf Scholz's cabinet collapsed.
Merz received only 310 votes in the first round, despite having 328 seats in total. He was formally appointed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and will take the oath in the Reichstag.
The new coalition claims tax cuts, lower energy prices, higher defense expenditure, and continuing support for Ukraine, all while addressing the emergence of the far right and strained US-Ukraine economic relations, according to BBC.
Israeli Ambassador Bass calls on Vice President Yadav
Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Shmulik Arie Bass paid a courtesy call on Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav.
During the meeting held today at the Vice President's Office, various issues including bilateral relations between the two countries, cooperation in the agriculture and labour sectors were discussed, according to the Vice President's Office.
Former minister Pradeep Nepal no more
CPN-UML leader and former minister Pradeep Nepal passed away this afternoon.
Suffering from Parkinson's disease for some years, leader Nepal breathed his last at Norvic Hospital in Kathmandu, UML parliamentary party's chief whip Mahesh Bartaula said.
Nepal served as the Minister for Information and Communications in the country's first communist government led by then Prime Minister Manmohan Adhikari.
Likewise, leader Nepal took charge of the Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Education during his political journey.
The former politburo member of the UML, leader Nepal served as the spokesperson and chief of publicity department of the UML.
Also an established literary figure, leader Nepal used to write his opinions and literary creations in the name of Sanjaya Thapa when he was underground during the Panchayat era.
With multiple feathers in his hat, Nepal served as the Editor of Nabayug, Chhalphal and Prakash weeklies and used to write for different newspapers as a columnist.
Leader Nepal was born in 2010 BS at Gogane village in Bhojpur district.
Poland accuses Russia of interfering in presidential election
Poland has accused Russia of seeking to influence the May 18 residential election through cyberattacks and disinformation.
Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski stated on Tuesday that Russian activity targeting key infrastructure, like as utilities and government networks, has more than doubled since last year, according to Reuters.
Poland, a critical hub for humanitarian aid to Ukraine, has faced heightened risks from Russian sabotage. Authorities claim these hybrid attacks are intended to disrupt governmental activities and undermine the electoral process
The Russian Embassy has not replied to the claims, Reuters reported.
